Show a checklist when capturing a task

Question

I have a checklist to do when adding new tasks for myself in org-mode. I would like to see it when capturing a task via org-capture, but I don't want it to be among the text I am adding because I would have to erase it every time. How can I do this?

Answer 1

Your question is quite vague. For an instance you do not say anything about the location of your checklist. I assume here that your checklist is stored in a separate file and you just want to view the contents of this file in a separate window as long as org-capture is running.

If you put the following lisp code into your [[][init file]] and re-start emacs the command org-capture displays the checklist given by the customization option org-checklist-file when the property list of the TODO entry is shown.

The checklist disappears when you hit C-c C-c.

(require 'subr-x) ;; for `when-let'
(defcustom org-checklist-file "~/checklist.org"
  "Checklist for adding org agenda items."
  :type 'file
  :group 'org-agenda)

(defvar org-capture-checklist-window nil
  "Where `org-capture-with-checklist' saves the created window.
So that it can be deleted in `org-capture-after-finalize-hook'.")

(defun org-capture-checklist-window ()
  "Just do `org-capture' but show the contents of `org-checklist-file' therewhile."
  (interactive "P")
  (when-let ((buf (find-file-noselect org-checklist-file))
         (window (display-buffer buf nil)))
    (set-window-dedicated-p window t)))

(defun org-capture-delete-checklist-window ()
  "Delete window from `org-capture-checklist-window' if it is alive."
  (when (window-live-p org-capture-checklist-window)
    (delete-window org-capture-checklist-window)))

(add-hook 'org-capture-mode-hook #'org-capture-checklist-window)
(add-hook 'org-capture-after-finalize-hook #'org-capture-delete-checklist-window)

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(defcustom org-checklist-file "~/checklist.org"
  "Checklist for adding org agenda items."
  :type 'file
  :group 'org-agenda)

(defun org-capture-with-checklist (&rest _)
  "Like `org-capture' but also displays the checklist from `org-checklist-file'
when the property drawer is shown."
  (cl-assert (file-readable-p org-checklist-file)
         "Org checklist file \"%s\" not readable." org-checklist-file)
  (let (window)
    (unwind-protect
    (let ((buffer (find-file-noselect org-checklist-file)))
      (when (buffer-live-p buffer)
        (setq window (display-buffer buffer)))
      (call-interactively #'org-capture))
      (when (window-live-p window)
    (delete-window window)))
    ))